According to Acosta’s lawyer, her client committed the murder because Klein had abused him and his 11-year-old siblings. Online 911 Noticias reports that Monica Chirivin said after killing Klein, Acosta practiced necrophilia on the body and then ate some of him.

Ms Chirivin added that Acosta told her he ‘felt relief that the abuse and constant submission was over.’

‘It was all done for their siblings, so that they would not suffer as she did,’ she said.

Karen Klein told police she was forced to dispose of the body because Acosta threatened to kill her, though one family said Ms Kowalczuk told them Acosta had ‘changed’ since his relationship with Karen and ‘she dominated him’, Perfil reports.

Though the defence claims Acosta was suffering from severe psychological problems and committed the murders in revenge for years of abuse, investigators reportedly believed the killings were driven by financial gain.